Tommy Cordova Documentary - From ESPN Favorite to Oblivion

A look back at the life & career of ESPN junior lightweight champion Tommy 'El Torito' Cordova.

[@AlamoCityCello]

It’s great you show complete rounds. We get to see the nature flow of the bout. Much better than the “highlights”. Another great doc from Rich!

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Hey thanks, John.

[@vikingman202]

Another awesome documentary Rich, I am learning about boxers that I have never heard of before. One of the things I really enjoy about your documentaries is that when you show fight footage, you don't talk over the action...you let the footage and the fighters speak for themselves. Keep up the good work!!

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thank you, Vikingman.

[@JZ505]

Agreed 👍

[@fabiovetro]

Thanks Rich, here in Italy it's early in the morning and, while I have breakfast to go to work, I watch your video. I don't know this boxer, but I'm sure it will be a great video to watch

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Fabio, great to know I have viewers in Italy.

[@blaisehanon]

savage..the fight vs Roach is just unreal,the stamina and cardio is not human...

[@christophermclean3921]

Thanks Rich. I don’t remember Tommy but that Cruz kid beat the crap out of my beloved Barry McGuigan. Tommy Cordova showed so much heart in that round 8.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Christopher. Steve Cruz was a technically sound fighter.

[@maxv3208]

The Texas heat beat McGuigan not Stevie Cruz.

[@arthurwilliams8778]

​@maxv3208 Actually fought in my home town Las Vegas fight city @Ceasars Palace 6/23/86 .The temperature was 110° opening bell.Have to think the conditions affected McGuigan slightly more adversely than Cruz being a TX native.What an amazing fight in which neither man was ever thought to be same fighter they came in as.Btw we hit 120° July 7th this yr😮

[@brianseneca3546]

Damn! I never saw the Cruz fight! What heart! Crazy determination on Tommy's part

[@handsom3jam955]

This is my boss Gabe's uncle

[@Deeznutz864]

Nice

[@myCOCKisHARD]

He's a rapist

[@serenityinside1]

Is he still alive ? I’d be very surprised if so .

[@illuminati7767]

Dont leave ur kids around him

[@TheBatugan77]

Prisoners have a program for guys like that.

[@bennylevine387]

Saw him fight Andy Minsker at the Showboat. It was a war. Pleasantly surprised to see a piece on him.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Benny.

[@TheBobbysteel]

Andrew Minsker was another favorite. I loved his style but can't find any of his fights

[@bennylevine387]

@@TheBobbysteel I liked him a great deal. I never saw any of his pro fights on youtube, but he does have some amateur ones.

[@JZ505]

Dan Sisneros has a channel called the 8-Count Boxing Hour and has some of Cordova's amateur fights. What a warrior. Awesome video Rich!

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Joaquin.

[@gearoidmcalister3638]

you are a legend , these videos are so relaxing in a weird way and so informative

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

I appreciate the support, SweetG97. Thank you.

[@GTSpeac]

Never knew about this champion from the era. Thanks for sharing.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Mehdi.

[@paulhaig2467]

Hey Rich love ya work , that Tommy was one hell of a fighting machine.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Paul.

[@brettpaterson8042]

Another great documentary Rich, never heard of Cordova though, didn’t get any ESPN fights in the UK in the 80s. He was a dream for TV fights, his style was perfect. Many thanks. 🥊

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Always a pleasure, Brett, thank you.

[@JMTrucking1417]

Listen to tommy talk, wow ! Damn ,one of my favorite fighters. Its unfair tht guys that give so much should oftentimes end up w so little !

[@apex_prowler95]

I remember him from back in the day. Ball of 🔥 People forget or don't know, because it was the early 80s, that Freddie was a damn good boxer and staple of ESPN boxing.

[@stephengeorge3507]

Freddy was ok,his biggest problem was,he couldn't crack an egg

[@TheBobbysteel]

I remember him ,Freddie Roach Scotty Nelson, and on . Great tough guys always entertaining and come to fight. Cordova was like a wind up toy or Tazmanian Devil.

[@MartinBlackburn]

Superb as ever Rich - thank you. Keep going and going Sir !

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Martin, will do.

[@serenityinside1]

It’s been a crappy week so far these last 2 days and I’m already tired and fed up … and then a RTFH vid pops up - and things look better and there is sun in the clouds. Thanks Rich 👍

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Nice to hear that, hang in there :)

[@ismaelvasquez6366]

I'm having plans on coming into the sport of boxing. I don't really know but I always had this feeling of finding something new and want to peruse it as a hobby or maybe a job depending on what it is. I come to this channel to find other boxers that have shown so much yet are never talked about in the public eye and even if they were they weren't forgotten from their love ones.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Ismael. Hope you enjoy the videos.

[@francosteinmann3238]

Great video once again Rich , please dont forget about The Silver Assasin Charlie Weir when u have time in future

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Franco. I won't. It'll be awhile but I'll get to Weir.

[@whitehurstcomic]

When I’m surfing KZbin and I get a notification from The fight Historian, I bail on whatever I’m watching.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

haha, right on whitehurstcomic.

[@richardlonschein-wt4yx]

Rich great videos the top rank shows of the 80’s were incredible good night sweet prince

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Richard.

[@richardlonschein-wt4yx]

Roach vs Cordova was pure mayhem and he’ll probably the greatest fight in f the top rank series of the 1980’s

[@phelpsmarc]

ESPN has a lot of great clubfights in the 126 weight division in 82-86 time frame. The only guy from that group that really broke out was Steve Cruz, who beat Barry McGuigan.

[@bluelivesmatter719]

Wildly entertaining fighter to watch. I remember the Roach fight well

[@andydalton5344]

Excellent 🙌

[@richardlonschein-wt4yx]

Cordova and Tony Ayala very similar lives

[@christopherbellore3511]

Another fine piece of work, Rich. I gotta admit, I started having compassion towards him until the pedophilia was revealed. I have a tough time showing compassion towards someone who crosses that line. No good. Unacceptable, inappropriate, improper behavior towards a child. That doesn't sit well with me.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Christopher. A bit of a "curveball" to say the least...I didn't know that about him before I started the research.

[@stephendeluca4479]

Fans love a boxer who can take a punch- especially a lot of them- and still continue to slug it out, but most of those fighters end up a mess down the road.

[@stevenmurray5715]

Brilliant as usual.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thank you, Steven.

[@kc1973able]

One the thing about Steve Cruz he was very good at keeping his composure under fire 🔥. It really payed off with his fight of the year in 86 with his big! Upset win over Barry Mcguigan to grab the WBA tittle. I gues having Troy Dorsey as your stable mate and Sparring. Gorman Definitely threw Cruz in with Dorsey prior to his fight with Mcguigan you couldn’t have gotten a better sparring partner with Dorsey if your fighting Mcguigan. Cordova super tough too tough for his own good 🥊

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Yeah, I bet those Dorsey sparring sessions were fast and furious.

[@towers950]

brilliant Rich

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Kim.

[@richardlonschein-wt4yx]

Danny Romero rip Johnny tapia and now Angelo leo

[@boogieman8198]

He was arrested in 2022 on a bunch of charges in Albuquerque, very good watch Rich

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, boogieman...yeah, I saw that...numerous warrants for pedophilia.

[@JMTrucking1417]

Ps. I meant tommy hearns. I think tht was him doin a little color w al bernstein but i mite b wrong.

[@bookah8787]

I've missed this one somehow I was just watching an old friends footage on this KZbin Gilbert yvel that's who's house I stayed at in the Netherlands with a monkey 🐒 lol have a great Christmas Richie mate and viewers .

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thank you, Bookah, hope you have a nice Christmas.

[@Thelategreatjohnnybratton]

Thanks Rich, great job. I sure remember him from ESPN days One thing besides the fight that stands out is….. both Bernstein and the other guy, Sam , I forget his last name, NEVER shut up. Bernstein must be paid by the word. It’s constant unnecessary jabbering the entire fight. Compare to the era of Don Dunphy, Jack Drees and Jimmy Powers. And today it’s WORSE!! There are 3 or more guys talking over each other. A small thing to some but very annoying to me.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, James. I suppose it's a taste thing. I agree with your sentiment about today's announcers, particularly DAZN.

[@serenityinside1]

As a 🇬🇧, it seems to be as king as I can remember an “ American thing” ! But then Americans usually seem to live the sound of their own voice!

[@pukulu]

Freddie Roach did 80% of the holding, almost every time the 2 fighters got on the inside.

[@sugardrey2067]

@pukulu he also initiated the headbutts

[@boxing888great5]

Pls do len wickwar

[@peterlawrence7851]

Damn

[@RN_BSN_PHN]

Being in shape is ultimately up to the Fighter. Not the Manager. Smoking? How, stupid..

[@mozfonky]

i looked some info up on the dude a few years ago, was dissapointed that he was some sort of molestor. Real good fighter though in an era where the club fighters were better than anyone I see today.

[@brianseneca3546]

117-107? I had this fight on an ESPN anniversary tape. Great fight but not that wide of a spread

[@serenityinside1]

I thought that ! Rank scoring BS always been going off hasn’t it 🙄

[@benlogan430]

Roach seems to head butt a lot. He leads with the old noggin.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Yeah, I noticed that too.

[@hummerfan8889]

What a sloppy fightee cordova is